Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1887-01-29

AS PSSsAS~ NAS ~ SsA
lawyer in court to appear for his client, tho
United States, as against himself, Roscom-
mon, Garcia, ct al. Wild horses could rot
havo torn him from this nbble resolution.
There is All iadescrlbable dclicacyin the legal
profession which we literary folk ought to
imitata
Tho United States lostl Which meant ruin
and destruction to tho "Bluo Mass Company f"
who had bought from q paternal and bcncf-
cent government lands which didn't Eelollg to
it. Tho Mexican grant, Of course, antc-lated
the occupation of tho mine by Concho, Wilcs,
Pedro, ct al, Us well as by tho "Dluo Mass
Company" nnd the solitary partners, Diggs
and Thatcher. Moro than that, it swallowed
up their improvements. 1t mado Eiggggs md
Thatcher responsible to Garcia for oil the
money tho grand master of avarico had made
out of it. Mr. District Attorney was ap-
parcntly distressed, but resigned. Messrs.
Biggs and Thatcher wcro really distressed and
com5ative.
And then, to advance q few years in this
chronicle, began real litigation with earnest
ness, viSor, courage, zeal and belief on the
part of Digs and Thatcher, and technicali-
ties, delay, ~cquivocation and q general
Fabian-lisc policy III tho part of Garcia,
Roscommon, ct al. OF all these tedious pro-
cesses I note hut ono, which for originality
and audacity Of conception appears tn mo to
Indicate moro clearly tho temper ond civilian
ton of tho epoch. A subordinate officer Of
tho district court refused to obey tho man.
date ordering a transcript Of the record to be
sent VI to tho United States supreme court.
It is to be regretted that tho namoo of this
Eo.,esian youth, who thus Grel tho domo OF
our constitutional liberties, should have
beon otherwise SO uninportant as to
DO confined to tho dusty records Of
that doubtful court Of which no was
q doubtful s~ervitor, and that his daim
to Immortality ceased with his double-fccd
service. But there still stands on record a
letter by this young gentleman, a%rraisning
tho legal wisdom of tho land, which is not en-
tircly devoid Of amusement or over instruc-
ton to young men DESTROYS Of obtaining pub
licity and capital. Howbeit, tho supreme
court was Obliged to protect itself by p,o>ur-
Llss Ll0 1cHhA0tlA4A Va 4S Au4lCtAO1lS wv VI ILS
local flngers into tho larger palm Of its W
attorney.
These various processes Of law and equity,
which, when exercised practically n the af-
fairs Of ordinary business, might havo occu-
pied q few months time, dragged, chung, ~
trogradcd, or advanced slowly during a
rcy.od Of eight or niuo years. But tho strong
arms Of Di.gs and Thatcher hold possession,
and possibly, by the sanlo tactics employed
On tho other side, arrested or delayed eject.
mont, and so n,ado and sold quicksilver. whilc
their opponents were spending gold, until
Eggs, sorcly hit in tho interlacing Of his or.
,nor, fell In tho lists, his check growing
waxcn md bis strong ar,n feeble, and finding
himself in this soro condition. and passing, as
It were, raado over his share in trust to Ills
comrado and died. Whcreat, from that limo
L~cncctorwarl, Royal Thntchcr rclgnod III lis
stead.
And GO, having anticipated the legalrccord.
wo viii co back to the various human in.
forests that helped to make it up.
To begin with Rosrommon: To do
justice to his later conduct and ex-
preston, It must be remembered that
when no accepted tho claim for the
"Red Rock rancho" yet unqucs,icned. from
tho hanas Of Garcia, ho was careless. or at
least unsuspicious Of fraud. 1t was l,ut until
ho hal experienced tho intoxiration Of liti::a-
ton that no felt, somehow, that lie wus o
wrongcd and d%efraudel man, hut with the
obstinacy Of defrauded men. preferred to AZ
raicn somo ono fact or individual as tho im-
pelling cause Of bis wrong, rather than the
various circumstances that lel to 1t. 10 this
simple mind it wus mudo patent that the
"Blue Mass Company" wero making money
out OF o ruino which lie clniined, unu which
was not yet adjudged to them. Every dollar
they took out was a fresh count in this gen.
eral indictment. Every delay towards this
adjustment Of rig%hte-although mado by his
WI lawycr-was a personal wrong. Tho
mere fact that there never was nor had becn
any quid pro quofor this immense property
that it bad fallen to him for a nero song
only added zcst to his struggle. Tho possibility
Of his losi1n this mere speculation effected
him moro Strongly than if he had already
paid down tho million ho expected to get from
the mine. l don't know that I havo Indicated
as plainly o. I might that universal prefer
cnce OH the part of mankind TO get something
from nothing, and to acquire the largest re-
turn for the least possible expenditure, but l
question my right to say that Itoscommon
was much more r~cprchcnsiblo than lis Tel.
lows.
Eut it told upon him as it did upon
all over whom the spirit Of the muir.
dered Concho brooded-upon all whom
avarice alternately 1attered and tortured.
From his quiet gains tn his legitimate
business, from the little capital pccumu.
hssd tsssagh iaaptsy aad scsupuaN hs iav'